Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Southampton

[M_Afro]

The one that we have needed to procure in each of the transfer windows since Smith was appointed and failed to do so. It is so obvious but he just cannot see it!

[skell]

1 minute ago, M_Afro said:

The one that we have needed to procure in each of the transfer windows since Smith was appointed and failed to do so. It is so obvious but he just cannot see it!

I even put Billings name down as an option. Anyone!

[skell]

5 minutes ago, wilko154 said:

So who is the box to box, physical midfielder that you are playing?

Stick mcginn as defensive mid

[M_Afro]

1 minute ago, skell said:

I even put Billings name down as an option. Anyone!

I was desperate for us to sign McKennie in the summer. He was the player I most wanted. I think Barkley is a good signing but we always needed another to add better balance in my view. Not seen anything since to contradict that!

[villa_shere]

15 minutes ago, wilko154 said:

If i'm honest I'm starting to think the same. Love Smith and hope he comes good, but his lack of a plan b is a real worry at the moment.

We really need to kick on now in the next few weeks and show the drive we showed in the second half today.

Too many time’s after a loss we hear about this lack of “plan b” myth. 
 

before the Leeds game we were 8 games unbeaten in the league including a great escape, winning four in a row and smashing the champions who are now top of the table, but apparently we’ve done all this on “Plan A”.

[MadridVilla]

Slightly disappointing result but ultimately it was only what we deserved. It seemed to me that we had pretty much no idea how to beat Southampton, we were aimless and just going through the motions and ended up 4-0 down as a result. While it was nice to have a bit of a fightback, I think it was more a result of Southampton easing off than Villa getting going.

I think we lost the game in the tactical battle. Smith's tactics seem to be to allow the opposition to control the ball and remain as compact as possible at the back, while hitting teams on the transition with a quick counter-attack. The problem is that when we have players making individual mistakes it leaves us so exposed and the silly fouls we committed on the edge of the box for both free kicks are points in case. And going forwards, while the players we have are quick, we aren't playing quickly. Much of that is on Jack, as good as he is, he does dither on the edge of the box too much in my opinion. I wish he could be more incisive and burst into the box with the ball because not only does it allow defenders to get organised but they can quickly surround Grealish before he can do anything with the ball.

I think there is a lot to learn again from today's game, but there is no need to panic. It's still early in the season and I'm sure Smith, the coaching staff and the data team will be able to see where we need to improve most.

[Genie]

7 minutes ago, villa_shere said:

Too many time’s after a loss we hear about this lack of “plan b” myth. 
 

before the Leeds game we were 8 games unbeaten in the league including a great escape, winning four in a row and smashing the champions who are now top of the table, but apparently we’ve done all this on “Plan A”.

I absolutely hate that  completely unsubstantiated lazy “no plan b” myth that fans like to throw around. It’s almost as bad as the “dinosaur” tag any manager over 50 gets when his team loses. 

[briny_ear]

4 hours ago, Davkaus said:

Nothing he did makes up for failing to jump for the second FK. 

Fair enough. I think getting our first goal probably evens that out, even if you award him full responsibility for the second free kick ( which I don’t - who gave the foul away?)

It’s not like he was having a poor game while everyone else was storming it.

[Paul33]

The only area that is letting us down is in midfield and Smith needs to give that a lot more thought ..... it has no balance and seems to be uncomfortably weighted towards attacking players who don't offer much resistance when not in possession.

Don't care what McGinn says, he is either still short of fitness or last season's injury has taken something out of his game. He is a pale shadow of the player who started last season ..... we now have a John McGinn who can't/doesn't run with the ball and that leaves him looking Championship standard on a good day.

Barkley is quite a lazy player and only lights up when he's on or around the ball. He needs to do a lot more and he needs to recognise his defensive responsibilities. Traore will not make it at this level and he never was going to. He is as lightweight and lacking influence as fans of his last club said he was. Waste of money and nowhere near as good as Trez !

Grealish and Watkins are fine but without those midfielders stepping up to the plate, they are going to struggle as will our defensive unit who once again were left horribly outnumbered and exposed by lazy midfielders not tracking back.

Good start to the season but some serious questions being asked now and I think Smith will have to at least change the midfield mix if not drop one or two of the "names" in favour of more resilient players.
 

 

[skell]

5 minutes ago, Paul33 said:

The only area that is letting us down is in midfield and Smith needs to give that a lot more thought ..... it has no balance and seems to be uncomfortably weighted towards attacking players who don't offer much resistance when not in possession.

Don't care what McGinn says, he is either still short of fitness or last season's injury has taken something out of his game. He is a pale shadow of the player who started last season ..... we now have a John McGinn who can't/doesn't run with the ball and that leaves him looking Championship standard on a good day.

Barkley is quite a lazy player and only lights up when he's on or around the ball. He needs to do a lot more and he needs to recognise his defensive responsibilities. Traore will not make it at this level and he never was going to. He is as lightweight and lacking influence as fans of his last club said he was. Waste of money and nowhere near as good as Trez !

Grealish and Watkins are fine but without those midfielders stepping up to the plate, they are going to struggle as will our defensive unit who once again were left horribly outnumbered and exposed by lazy midfielders not tracking back.

Good start to the season but some serious questions being asked now and I think Smith will have to at least change the midfield mix if not drop one or two of the "names" in favour of more resilient players.
 

 

Spot on

 It's the midfield mix.that is causing us.problems. now we have Barkley who doesnt like.tracking back along with Jack. This is a recipe for disaster.  We need a defensive Mid next to Luiz ASAP. Who are these resilient players.you talk of?

 

[Paul33]

16 minutes ago, skell said:

Spot on

Who are these resilient players.you talk of?

 

Got any easier questions ?!!!!

[PaulC]

4 hours ago, One For The Road said:

I said before the game that a draw would be a good result. This isn't a "better fan than you" crap. It's reality.

I am positive about the Villa this year. Our owners have shown their intent and its translating on the pitch. Works in progress don't smash every team. Or even beat every team. In fact, they stun teams and they get stunned by teams. Its the way it goes.

Go back yo our last stint in the Premier League and the difference is palpable. The only stunning result was when we didn't get battered. 

This is the classic work in progress and the 2nd half today impressed me as much as the first half disappointed me.

Villa ARE back. We just need patience from the fans and we will be ok. 

Stay up comfortably this year and we are still at least a season ahead of progress.

Arsenal should be an opportunity to get back to the positive vibes of early October. And if its not  we have to remember that we will have literally played 5 top half form teams in a row. 

Not time to panic, just time to calm down, be realistic, get behind the project and keep going. 

After all, the team we lost to today lost 9-0 at home not long ago and now they are flying. Keep the faith. UTV.

Yes you were right I was wrong. Encouraged by the second half performance but we are still a work in progress. 

[sheepyvillian]

The posters turning, yet again, on Smith are probably the same posters who were up in a fuss over Villa fans being called ultra fickle. You gotta love the irony. 

[HKP90]

5 hours ago, Muriel said:

Don't think it's the full picture though. We were behind with 3 or 4 before we got going. Very bad first half

On the basis of that xG we should have won. 

[Zhan_Zhuang]

1 hour ago, skell said:

We need a defensive Mid next to Luiz ASAP. Who are these resilient players.you talk of?

Marvelous 

[The Fun Factory]

1 minute ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Marvelous 

In theory but I don't think Dean is a fan. If only we had signed Drinkwater when we had the chance.

[Zhan_Zhuang]

Honestly I think Marv would have made us sturdier through the middle today against Saints. At times they seemed to walk right through us, don't think they'd have done that with him in there.

First-half McGinn and Barkley were invisible, Marvelous would have offered more than both.

[The Fun Factory]

I don't particularly rate him but he seems a good lad and if things are not working its worth putting in on and see what happens.

[One For The Road]

56 minutes ago, PaulC said:

Yes you were right I was wrong. Encouraged by the second half performance but we are still a work in progress. 

We are all in this together, I shouldn't be so critical of those who are overly positive maybe. After all, we all want the same thing.

Its just that I feel too much expectation leads to too much disappointment and that often divides the fan base. 

I'm positive. Very positive, about this club and where we are going. I just have to temper my expectations and appreciate the progress. 

We battered them second half and that showed character. We've shown we can win when on top but until today we hadn't shown we can compete when the chips are down.

That is the biggest difference between the Villa of 2020 and the Villa of 2015.

That and the fact we are so exciting to watch.

I fancy us at Arsenal. I really do. 

We can't all beat Huddersfield Town you know, some of us have to play against really good teams. UTV

[a-k]

I don't think this was the end of the world against what has become a bogey team for us. Yes, we were dire in the first half, but they also scored 2 quality FKs and basically their only chance from open play in the entire match was a world-class, unstoppable strike. And, the fact that we bossed them when allowed to control possession bodes very well for our upcoming fixtures (after Arsenal) in which we should be expected to be on the front foot.

After 7 rounds of fixtures, we're ahead of Leicester, Arsenal, City, and United. I think we would all have taken that before the first ball was kicked this season.